Container wall lock construction



sept. 22, 1970 R. v. JQH'NSQN 3,529,762

coNTAINER WALL Loox CONSTRUCTION Filedvsept. 1e, 196e 2 sheets-sheet 1Sept. 22, 1970 R. v. JOHNSON 3,529,752

I coNTAINER WALL Loox CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 16, 1968 I 2 Sheets-Sheet2 11T/G4' ,Z7

INVENTORA United States Patent O 3,529,762 CONTAINER WALL LOCKCONSTRUCTION Ronald V. Johnson, Port Washington, Wis., assignor toHoerner Waldorf Corporation, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of DelawareFiled Sept. 16, 1968, Ser. No. 759,897 Int. Cl. B65d 5/22 U.S. Cl.229--34 8 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A container end structureincludes a bottom panel, side walls connected to opposite side edges andan end wall hinged to the intermediate end edge. The side walls areprovided with end flaps folded inwardly along the end of the bottompanel. The end wall is folded upwardly outwardly of the end wall flaps.An end wall flap is folded over the upper edges of the end flaps anddownwardly along the inner surfaces of said end flaps to terminate inspaced relation to the bottom panel. Extension tabs are hinged to theend wall and are folded down to engage in slots in the bottom panel.

This invention relates to an improvement 'in container wall lockconstruction and deals particularly with a simple and effective means oflocking the container walls of a paperboard container in rectangularrelation.

For many years containers have been produced which are shipped to thecustomer in at form, and which are set up by the customer intorectangular form as they are used. Such containers usually include agenerally rectangular bottom panel having side wall panels hinged toopposite sides thereof, and end wall panels hinged to the parallel endedges thereof. The side and end wall panels are substantially the sameheight. The side walls are provided with end flaps hinged to the endedges thereof, these end flaps being folded inwardly over opposite endsof the bottom panel. The end walls are folded upwardly outwardly of theend flaps and an end panel liner panel which is hinged to the upper edgeof each end Wall panel is folded over the upper edges of the end flapsand downwardly along the inner surfaces of lthese flaps. Some means isprovided for locking the end wall liner panels in place. This means maycomprise, for example, slots in the bottom panel in to which tongues onthe end wall liner panel extend to hold the various walls in rightangular relationship.

' While such constructions have been effectively used ove-r a longperiod of time, one of the objections to the construction lies in thefact that the end wall liner panels must extend the full height of theend walls and this means that the paperboard blank is considerablylonger than it would otherwise be, correspondingly increasing the costof the blanks. Reducing the length of the end wall liner panels wouldcause a corresponding reduction in the length of the blank butdifficulty is experienced in effectively locking such a shortened panelor flap in place. A purpose of the present invention resides in theprovision of a container of the lock end type in which the end wallliner panel is materially cut down in length, but which provides aneffective end wall lock for holding the walls in proper relation.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of acontainer including a bottom panel having vopposed side and end wallshinged thereto and designed to extend upwardly therefrom. `Flaps areprovided on the end edges of the side walls, and these flaps are foldedinwardly along the ends of the bottom panel. End walls are foldedupwardly outside of the end flaps, and an end wall rleeN liner ap ishinged to the upper edge of the end wall and is folded over the upperedges of the end flaps to lie inwardly thereof. Extension tabs arehingedly connected to the end liner flaps along fold lines parallel tothe lines of fold connecting the liner flaps to the end walls. Thesetabs are defined by U-shaped cut lines which usually intersect the lineof fold connecting the liner flaps to the end walls. These tabs arefolded through to form downward extensions of the liner flaps. Theseextension tabs engage in slots in the bottom panel extending along theends thereof. Thus, the extension tabs effectively lock the wall panelsin right angular relation while at the same time the length of thepaperboard blank is materially reduced.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention willbe more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification andclaims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of the container in closed position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of the container in partially set upposition.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container showing a subsequentposition of the flaps.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the completed container, theposition of the section being indicated by the line `4 4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. S is a transverse vertical sectional View through the container,the position of the section being indicated by the line 5-5 of FIG. Il.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the container isformed.

The container is indicated in general by the letter A and is formed oflthe blank best illustrated in FIG. 6` of the drawings. As indicated inthis figure, the container A includes a bottom panel 10 of rectangularshape having side walls 11 and 12 hinged to opposite longitudinal edges13 thereof, and end walls 14 hinged to opposite ends thereof alongparallel fold lines 15 which intersect the fold lines 13 at rightangles. End flaps 16 are hinged to the end edges of the side walls 11and 12 along fold lines 17 which are substantially aligned with the foldlines 15. End vwall liner flaps 19 are hingedly connected to upper edgesof the end walls 14 along double score lines 20. Liner flap extensiontabs 21 are hingedly connected to the end wall liner flaps 119 alonglines of fold 22 which are spaced from the end edges of the liner apsand which are parallel to the fold lines 20 connecting the liner aps tothe end walls. The extension tabs 21 are formed by generally U-shapedcut lines 23 which intersect the fold lines 20. In other words, the foldlines 20 do not extend across the tabs 21 but are on gpposite sidesthereof. Slots 24 are provided in the bottom panel 10 extending alongthe fold lines 15 connecting the bottom panel to the end walls 14.

The combined length of the tabs 21 from the fold lines 22 to the endextremities thereof, combined with the distance between the fold lines20 and 22 slightly exceeds the height of the end flaps 16. As a result,when folded through 180, the ends of the tabe 21 may extend into theslots 24 to lock the container assembled.

A cover panel 25 is hingedly connected to the upper edge of one sidewall 11 along a fold line 26. Tuck flaps 27 are hingedly connected tothe ends of the cover panel 25 along parallel fold lines 29. A tuck flap30 is hingedly connected to the cover panel 25 along the fold line 31.The fold line 31 is interrupted by a U-shaped cut line 32 designed toform a slot in the tuck flap 30 when the tuck flap is folded down in aright angular relation to the top panel.

A locking tongue 33 is hingedly connected to the side wall panel 12along a fold line 34 which is somewhat below the upper edge of the sidewall. The locking tongue 3 33 is divided into two sections intermediateits ends by a fold line 35 parallel to the fold line 34. As a result, sothat the locking tongue may be inserted into the slot formed by theU-shaped cut line 32.

The container is set up in the manner illustrated in the drawings. Theside wall 11 and 12 are folded upwardly into right angular relation tothe bottom panel 10, and the end flaps 16 are folded inwardly along theends of the bottom panel. In the particular arrangement illustrated, theaps 16 overlap to add strength to the container. Quite obviously, theaps Could be shortened to meet in end abutting relation.

With the container in the position indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawings,the end walls 14 are folded up outwardly of the end flaps 16, and theend wall liner flaps 19 are bent inwardly in the manner illustrated inFIG. 3 of the drawings. The extension tabs 21 are then folded upward- 1yand inwardly through an angle of 180. The combined liner flaps 19 andtabs 21 are then folded downwardly until the ends of the tabs 21 areengaged in the slots 24.

It will seem that the liner flaps are of a length of approximately onehalf the height of the end walls. As a result, the blank can beshortened an amount equal to the height of one end wall, and accordinglythe containers may be produced at a lower cost than would otherwise bepractical.

I claim:

1. A container lock end including:

a bottom panel,

a pair of side Wall panels hinged to opposite side edges of said bottomwall and extending therefrom upwardly,

a side Wall flap hingedly connected to an end of each of said side wallpanels and folded inwardly to said side wall panels,

an end wall panel hinged to an end of said bottom panel and folded upoutwardly of said side wall aps,

an end wall flap hinged to the upper edge of said end wall panel andfolded over the upper edges of said side wall ap to extend downwardlyinwardly of said flaps to terminate in spaced relation to said bottompanel,

a tab hingedly connected to said end wall flap along a line spaced fromand parallel to the lower edge thereof and folded to extend downwardfrom said end Wall flap,

means on said bottom panel engageable with the lower end of said tab tohold said tab and end wall flap from unfolding.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said bottom panel includes aslot extending along the line of fold connecting said end wall panel tosaid bottom panel, the edge of said slot forming the means engageablewith said tab.

3. The structure of claim 1 and in which said tab is dened by a U-shapedcut line terminating at the hinge line connecting said tab to said endwall flap.

4. The structure of claim 3 and in which said U-shaped cut line extendsacross the line of fold connecting said end Wall panel to said wallflap.

5. The structure of claim 1 and in which said side wall panels andbottom panel include a similar structure at each end.

6. A container blank including:

a rectangular bottom panel,

side wall panels hinged to opposite parallel side edges of said bottompanel,

end wall panels hinged to opposite parallel end edges of said bottompanel,

side Wall aps hinged to opposite ends of said side Wall panels,

said side and end Wall panels being of substantially equal height fromthe lines of fold connecting them to said bottom panel and said sideWall flaps being of equal height to said side wall panels, end wallflaps hinged to the ends of said end wall panels and being of a lengthsubstantially less than the height of said wall panels and said sidewall flaps,

end wall ilap extension tabs hingedly connected to said end wall flapsalong a tab hinge line of fold spaced from the ends of said end Wallflaps and parallel to the line of fold connecting said end wall flaps tosaid end wall panels,

said tabs being dened by generally U-shaped cut lines terminating atsaid tab hinge line of fold,

retaining means at the ends of said bottom panel engageable with saidtab,

the length of said tabs from said tab hinge line of fold combined withthe distance between said tab hinge line of fold and said hinge lineconnecting said end wall aps to said end wall panels at least equallingthe height of said side wall aps.

7. The structure of claim 6 and in which said bottom panels includeslots at opposite ends thereof substantially parallel to the end edgesthereof forming the tab retaining means in said bottom panel.

8. The structure of claim 6 and in which said U- shaped cut linesintersect the lines of hinge connecting said end wall panels to said endwall flaps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,136,797 11/1938 Lee 229--34 XR3,067,924 12/1962 Baker et al. 229-35 3,118,591 11/1964 Allard.

FOREIGN PATENTS 477,959 11/1951 Canada. 1,292,331 1962 France.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner S. E. LIPMAN, Assistant ExaminerU.S. Cl. XR. 229-31, 35, 37

